Heartbeat
by Sandylee007
Summary: How is it possible that a intended, perfectly harmless visit to a suspect's house leaves Dr. Spencer Reid stabbed? The heartbeat is the only thing keeping Derek Morgan from being swallowed up by panic. ONESHOT


A/N: It looks like my 'CM' groove is beginning to kick in again. In fact, I've got a couple of projects cooking up. (grins) Hooray? This weird baby came out of me from nowhere and demanded to be type. (smirks sheepishly)

WARNINGS: A bit of language, some blood… For my list that's terrifyingly short. (gawks)

DISCLAIMER: Oh, if only…! (sighs) But at the moment a roof on top of my head and my cat are all I can afford. (pouts)

Awkay… I suppose that it's go-time, no? (gulps) I really hope that you'll enjoy the ride.

* * *

**_Heartbeat_**

* * *

Derek Morgan had been an agent for quite a long time. Still this certain tremor lingered in his stomach every time he worked on a case. It was only healthy. The caution – the preparedness for anything – was what kept him alert, alive.

His muscles spasmed a little bit with startle when his cell phone vibrated in his pocket. Carefully making sure that he was still alone in the alleyway outside their current UnSub's apartment building he took the item and gave it a look. It was a message from Aaron Hotchner.

'_He wasn't headed to his ex-wife_.'

Derek's eyes widened while his pulse sped up rapidly. In an instant connections began to form in his buzzing head. Very, very unpleasant connections.

'_So he's coming back home?_'

Correction. It'd been twenty minutes. The UnSub already was there.

'_Backup's on the way_.'

That was hardly any comfort. Because Derek wasn't the only one who arrived to this scene about a minute or two ago. Their intention was to find some more evidence against their UnSub from the man's apartment while the killer was taken into custody. Derek was running before he'd even properly put his phone away. One of his hands found its way to his gun, trembling from something beyond terror. The fear was making it hard for him to breathe.

And then he heard the muffled scream, followed by a thud.

Derek had never, ever ran as fast in his life. His lips opened but no sound managed to push through. Then he'd already reached the sight, a dark alley right below the building's fire escape. His eyes widened to a comical extend.

Their UnSub, Thomas Patinkin, lay on the pavement, smacked down by a loose board that came from who knows where and now lay just as still beside the serial killer. Completely, utterly harmless, despite the fact that at the age of just twenty-six he'd already killed eight women. Even with the lack of light Derek could see that some very fresh bruising was already decorating the recently shaved scalp.

"The board… It was there, and I had to do… something." Jumping a little at the familiar voice Derek turned to see the speaker. Dr. Spencer Reid stood a slight distance away, staring at the killer unblinkedly with dazed eyes. "He's got a concussion, but… He'll be fine. He'll go to jail." The doctor swallowed loudly and would've probably looked at him if the younger man would've dared to even glance away from the prone figure. "I… I'm sorry. He jumped on me out of nowhere and I couldn't…"

Finally coming out of his stupor Derek shook his head. "It's okay, kid. You did good." He frowned, trying to assess his friend's condition. With the way Spencer stood in the shadows it was hard to tell… "Are you okay?"

Spencer nodded immediately. "Yeah, I'm fine. Just… Just cuff him, before he wakes up."

Derek was more than glad to do just that. Wishing that the monster had been awake to feel his harsh motions he cuffed the killer's wrists behind the man's back, then glanced around in search for a weapon. A knife, the one that'd taken eight lives they knew of… Patinkin wouldn't have thrown it away. It was too precious to the man, too important. So where was it?

Ice cold dread spreading all the way through Derek began to turn his head towards Spencer. "Reid, did you see…?" All words caught into his throat. He was almost sure that his heart forgot a couple of beats.

While he'd been busy with the killer Spencer had slid downwards, so that the genius was at the moment sitting on the filthy street, unhealthily pale and the haze in those hazel eyes far deeper than moments earlier. At that moment light finally hit the metal, allowing Derek to see it. Patinkin's knife… It was right there, buried far too close to Spencer's abdominal area. A steady stream of blood was rolling, staining the younger man's shirt.

Derek was moving like he'd been shot from a cannon, shaking right down to the core of his being. "Reid!" He paid no attention to the pain in his knees when he crashed down in front of his friend, frantic hands trying desperately to staunch the bleeding. He glanced up to discover that Spencer was struggling to keep his eyes open. A new shockwave of blind panic shot through him. Panic, hysteria. "Reid, keep your eyes on me! Alright? Look at me!"

Aaron… He mentioned having called backup. Where the hell where they?

Spencer blinked sluggishly and for a moment Derek truly feared that those eyes may close, after all. Instead they focused on him, bleary but still. The man was shaking while even more color drained from his face. Shock was settling in. "Pressure… Apply more pressure."

Derek obeyed, trying his best to ignore the way his harsh motions were making Spencer wince. The blood was all over his hands by then and a searing sensation took over his eyes. "I'm sorry", he blurted out before even properly realizing it. "I'm so sorry…!" For hurting you. For failing you. For leaving you alone.

"Not your fault." Spencer's words were barely comprehensible but struck him hard anyway. He shivered when a feeble hand grabbed one of his all of a sudden, guiding it to the genius' chest. It was then he understood. There, right underneath his bloodied, trembling hand Spencer's heart was thumping on strongly, determinedly.

Spencer was still alive and kicking. The sirens… They were finally approaching, somewhere in the distance. Now wasn't the time to let his mind succumb to chaos.

Spencer's groan brought him back to awareness. He was alarmed for a moment until he realized that the sound wasn't that of pain. There was something close to a pout on the genius' face. "Hospital again, huh?"

Derek nodded, unsure if he wanted to laugh, cry or punch the trouble magnet before him. "Uh huh. You've gotta stop pulling up stunts like this, kid. If I had hair it'd be all grey by now", he announced with a bizarre mixture of a sigh and a sob. He focused the on the feel of his friend's heartbeat, not wanting to even look at all the blood pouring all over the man's shirt and his soaked hand. "Garcia's going to smack you senseless for this. You do realize that, don't you? And then she'll hug you and never let you out of her sight again."

Spencer's fading eyes softened. Was that… a smirk? It was hard to tell. "'you think she'll bake cookies again?"

Derek nodded, relieved to hear Spencer speak. The sirens were taking far too long to his liking to get to them. "I know she will", he swore.

All of a sudden Spencer shivered and while terror swirled in the pit of Derek's stomach the genius began to grow limp. Those eyes… They were barely open. And the damned blood just wouldn't stop running.

His eyes wide and his tone far sharper than he'd intended Derek bellowed. "Reid!" He would've tapped the younger man's cheek if he would've dared to move either one of his hands. "Spencer! Eyes open! The help's almost here. Do you hear it? So don't you dare give up on me!"

Spencer's eyes were drooping but somehow the genius still managed to offer him a tiny, feeble smile. "'am not gonna die, Morgan. Just 'est my eyes for a bit." With that those eyes fell closed.

The sirens were almost there. Derek kept staring at his friend's face with wide eyes. One hand working desperately and feebly to stop the bleeding while the other remained on top of the very much beating heart.

Spencer promised not to die.

He'd make damn sure that the kid wouldn't end up breaking his promise.

The determined, ferocious beat under his hand never ceased.

* * *

**_End._**

* * *

A/N: Poor Reid, always the one to find all the trouble. (winces) But oh well, at least now he's got his BAU-family looking out for him. (grins) (And for anyone still doubting, no worries! This was NOT a death fic.) (smirks) (Unless you want it to be…?)

I've really gotta go. Technically I should be in bed right now. (winces)

PLEASE, leave a note! I'm always really worried about the quality of my new babies so it'd mean a lot to hear from you.

Thank you so much for reading!  
Take care!


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